Showing posts with label Green Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Tips. Show all posts
Jun 14, 2010
Dec 10, 2009
20 Tips for a Sustainable Holiday
It’s easy to forget the environment during the holidays, but a more sustainable festive season may not be as difficult as you think.
We produce approximately 25 percent more trash during the holiday season (from Thanksgiving to New Year’s) which equates to around 25 million extra tons of waste.
Follow these handy tips for a greener, more sustainable holiday:
1. When buying presents, keep an eye out for those with minimal packaging, or items packed in recycled or recyclable materials (e.g. cardboard).
2. Don’t throw your wrapping paper in the garbage or fireplace. More than 8,000 ton of wrapping paper will be used on presents, using the equivalent of 50,000 trees. Reuse or recycle!
3. Buy recycled wrapping paper and holiday cards. Around 744 million holiday cards are sent each holiday season. If all these were made from recycled paper, it would help to save the equivalent of 248,000 trees.
4. Buy cards made from paper (not plastic) and without lots of added decorations, as these cards cannot be recycled.
5. Send an e-card instead! There are lots of sites offering free holiday e-card services.
6. Save and reuse cards that you receive as gift tags for next year.
7. If you are buying toys or electrical goods that need batteries, buy rechargeable ones, then add a battery charger to your shopping list. Make sure to recycle those old batteries instead of tossing them. Battery Solutions is a great service for this.
8. Most people buy too much food at for holiday gatherings, much of which goes to waste.
This year, try to plan your meals and only buy what you need. Alternatively, put a compost bin on your shopping list, significantly reducing the trash going to landfill.
9. When buying your food, buy local, organic or fair-trade. A traditional dinner that uses local seasonal produce and food from a local market or grocer helps reduce “food miles” (the distance food travels to reach your plate).
10. Buy loose rather than pre-packed vegetables – it will help cut down on packaging that gets thrown away.
11. Recycle your beverage containers, including bottles from wine and plastic egg nog containers.
12. When you have finished eating all your chocolates and biscuits, keep the tins and reuse them as storage containers.
13. If you receive electric goods this season, don’t throw your old ones away. Recycle or donate them using Earth911’s recycling locator.
14. If you decorate with a tree, buy a locally grown Christmas tree and remember to recycle it after the holidays are over.
15. Take public transportation to go Christmas shopping. If using the car, try to make only one, big trip, cutting down on gas consumption and time.
16. Around 125,000 tons of plastic packaging are thrown away over the holiday season. Take your own reusable shopping bags when you do your shopping.
17. Make your own food-based gifts such as homemade chutneys, cakes or chocolate truffles. You could also make your own flavored organic olive oil, adding dried chillies, garlic or herbs.
18. If you’re having a party, avoid serving food and drinks on disposable plates and cups. If you don’t have enough reusable plates, have everyone bring their own!
19. Take any unwanted gifts to a Goodwill location or list them on sites like eBay or Craigslist. A Goodwill close to you can be found using Earth911’s recycling locator.
20. Make your New Year’s resolution to live more sustainably in 2009!
Information Provided By: EARTH911
Sep 29, 2009
Green Beauty Tip & Green Incentive!!!
The Le Reve "Green Team" has made a commitment to choosing Green Transportation at least 20% of the year and we are challenging you to do the same.
Why: It's cheap* Good for the planet, not to mention your butt!
Fact: "Peddling just 4 miles a day vs. driving will keep 15 lbs. of pollutants, including climate - change - causing CO2, out of the air."
Statistic: Bike at the chill pace of 10 MPH for an hour and burn up to 345 calories instead of that other kind of fuel.
!!!INCENTIVE!!!
Ride your bike to your next spa appointment and Le Reve will treat you to a complimentary eye treatment by the totally Green and Organic Skin Care line Eminence.
Your eyes will look younger and brighter!
Sep 8, 2009
Clients give us tips on how THEY are being green for a chance to win a Le Reve Facial!!
Denise's Green Tip: I use plastic grocery bags as trash can liners and paper grocery bags as recycling containters.
Diana's Green tip: When food shopping I always try to bring my own reusable bag. If I forget, at home I reuse all of the plastic back from the grocery store as many times as I can before I decide to throw them away. I use them as trash bags, to store produce from the farmers market, to store shoes, and more. Plastic takes 1,000 of years to decompose so reducing the amount of plastic waste is key to being GREEN.
Cameron's Green Tip: We do almost all of our washes (except for diapers) on the "cold" cycle--and then dry on a wooden drying rack in the sun--much easier than a clothesline!
Donald's Green Tip: Electronics are never really turned off, so I have put all of my electronic devices - computeres, stereos, DVD players, etc. - on power strips so that I can make sure all the power is completely off.
Eileen's Green Tip: Stop buying paper napkins and go back to the old cloth ones. Saves lots of money too!
Emily's Green Tip: I bought a Brita! No more plastic water bottles...Using less paper towels & turning off lights when possible...
All the small things add up... : )
Teri's Green Tip: We're buying large 10 gallon containers of water and using the green canteens instead of plastic bottles.
Jennifer's Green Tip: At home, I have a separate trash can for recyclable items, as well as a bag for bottles and cans, so that I can ensure I don't trash things that can be reused. While I do not have a recylcle bin at my own home, I always make sure to take the recycle with me when going to someone's who does so I can make sure it is reused.
Shannon's Green Tip: my "green" practice at home is using the plow to porch organic produce weekly delivery service. i can't always make it to farmers' market and i wanted to truly eat local/seasonal and support our local growers, so i started using the service in may. most of the local markets, even tri county produce and lazy acres, do not actually carry local produce, which frustrated me because eating local should be one of the simplest ways to live more sustainably, particularly in such an ag-rich region like sb county. so this turned into a very happy solution, and it also feels good to support local businesses. it also has me experimenting in the kitchen with ingredients i wouldn't have normally bought, so it's helping me become a better cook and opening me up to new flavors!
Luce's Green Tip:Grow my own vegetable garden using organic fertilizer instead of commercial ones.
Wash my fruit trees with my hose often to prevent diseases and insects infestation . No chemical treatments if fungus or insects occur. Always wash clothes with cold water. Recycle. Do not use plastic bottles but stainless steel instead. Go to farmer's market every week to buy local. My most recent one: use only organic products like"JURLIQUE" on my skin since the skin absorbs chemicals directly.
Julie's Green Tip: My husband uses old scrap wood to build things instead of buying new wood.
Janice's Green tip: My "green" thing I do at home is always use reuseable shopping bags like the Trader Joes bags..
Joe's Green Tip: My kids and I constructed a compost bin from 4 recycled shipping pallets by screwing them together to form a box and wrapping chicken wire around it to keep in the debris. Was really easy. http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/TheUrbanFarm/2009/02/24/making-a-compost-bin-from-wooden-pallets/
Anyone who has a yard or a garden has plant debris, so rather than let it go to waste, or pay to have it hauled away, we constructed a compost bin (one could also purchase one at the local hardware store). and installed it near the trash receptacles. We have decreased our trash by at least 1/3 by composting food scraps (not incl meat or dairy), lawn cuttings, leaves, coffee grounds and filters, egg shells, paper towels, etc, etc. The best part is that the kids seem proud that are doing something for Mother Earth. Yay!
Diana's Green tip: When food shopping I always try to bring my own reusable bag. If I forget, at home I reuse all of the plastic back from the grocery store as many times as I can before I decide to throw them away. I use them as trash bags, to store produce from the farmers market, to store shoes, and more. Plastic takes 1,000 of years to decompose so reducing the amount of plastic waste is key to being GREEN.
Cameron's Green Tip: We do almost all of our washes (except for diapers) on the "cold" cycle--and then dry on a wooden drying rack in the sun--much easier than a clothesline!
Donald's Green Tip: Electronics are never really turned off, so I have put all of my electronic devices - computeres, stereos, DVD players, etc. - on power strips so that I can make sure all the power is completely off.
Eileen's Green Tip: Stop buying paper napkins and go back to the old cloth ones. Saves lots of money too!
Emily's Green Tip: I bought a Brita! No more plastic water bottles...Using less paper towels & turning off lights when possible...
All the small things add up... : )
Teri's Green Tip: We're buying large 10 gallon containers of water and using the green canteens instead of plastic bottles.
Jennifer's Green Tip: At home, I have a separate trash can for recyclable items, as well as a bag for bottles and cans, so that I can ensure I don't trash things that can be reused. While I do not have a recylcle bin at my own home, I always make sure to take the recycle with me when going to someone's who does so I can make sure it is reused.
Shannon's Green Tip: my "green" practice at home is using the plow to porch organic produce weekly delivery service. i can't always make it to farmers' market and i wanted to truly eat local/seasonal and support our local growers, so i started using the service in may. most of the local markets, even tri county produce and lazy acres, do not actually carry local produce, which frustrated me because eating local should be one of the simplest ways to live more sustainably, particularly in such an ag-rich region like sb county. so this turned into a very happy solution, and it also feels good to support local businesses. it also has me experimenting in the kitchen with ingredients i wouldn't have normally bought, so it's helping me become a better cook and opening me up to new flavors!
Luce's Green Tip:Grow my own vegetable garden using organic fertilizer instead of commercial ones.
Wash my fruit trees with my hose often to prevent diseases and insects infestation . No chemical treatments if fungus or insects occur. Always wash clothes with cold water. Recycle. Do not use plastic bottles but stainless steel instead. Go to farmer's market every week to buy local. My most recent one: use only organic products like"JURLIQUE" on my skin since the skin absorbs chemicals directly.
Julie's Green Tip: My husband uses old scrap wood to build things instead of buying new wood.
Janice's Green tip: My "green" thing I do at home is always use reuseable shopping bags like the Trader Joes bags..
Joe's Green Tip: My kids and I constructed a compost bin from 4 recycled shipping pallets by screwing them together to form a box and wrapping chicken wire around it to keep in the debris. Was really easy. http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/TheUrbanFarm/2009/02/24/making-a-compost-bin-from-wooden-pallets/
Anyone who has a yard or a garden has plant debris, so rather than let it go to waste, or pay to have it hauled away, we constructed a compost bin (one could also purchase one at the local hardware store). and installed it near the trash receptacles. We have decreased our trash by at least 1/3 by composting food scraps (not incl meat or dairy), lawn cuttings, leaves, coffee grounds and filters, egg shells, paper towels, etc, etc. The best part is that the kids seem proud that are doing something for Mother Earth. Yay!
Sep 1, 2009
Dishwashing detergent environmental impact
Even the simple task of washing dishes can have an impact on the environment.
For starters, many dishwashing detergents contain phosphate - it's a naturally occurring substance, but if too much of it gets into waterways, algae and phytoplankton feed on it and reproduce in massive numbers; causing an algal bloom.
One of the most dangerous blooms is created by blue-green algae, cyanobacteria. If large amounts are ingested, this can even kill humans.
Algal blooms block out sunlight and cause oxygen imbalances in a body of water; and as a result kill off other species.
While it's best to use a phosphate free detergent, depending on where you live and whether you wash by hand or use a dishwasher, it may be impractical or cost prohibitive to use phosphate free detergents.
This being the case, compare detergents for phosphate levels. A low phosphate level is considered to be around 1.6%, but you also need to compare how much detergent you need to use.
At Le Reve we use "Auto Dish Soap" from Trader Joe's. The benefits of this soap:
*Biodegradable
*Phosphate Free
*Chlorine Free
*Removes Dried on foods
*Removes Tough Stains
*Built-In Rinse Aid
Quick dish washing tips
By the way - when hand washing dishes, you only need enough suds to cover the top of the water with a thin layer; anything over that is just overkill and aside from environmental concerns, you're just wasting money. Also, ensure you make the most of your bottle of detergent. When it seems empty, there's probably enough for a couple of washes left if you add a bit of warm water to the bottle and then shake! Little things like this multiplied by millions doing the same does help in a small way to minimize our negative impact on the environment.
For starters, many dishwashing detergents contain phosphate - it's a naturally occurring substance, but if too much of it gets into waterways, algae and phytoplankton feed on it and reproduce in massive numbers; causing an algal bloom.
One of the most dangerous blooms is created by blue-green algae, cyanobacteria. If large amounts are ingested, this can even kill humans.
Algal blooms block out sunlight and cause oxygen imbalances in a body of water; and as a result kill off other species.
While it's best to use a phosphate free detergent, depending on where you live and whether you wash by hand or use a dishwasher, it may be impractical or cost prohibitive to use phosphate free detergents.
This being the case, compare detergents for phosphate levels. A low phosphate level is considered to be around 1.6%, but you also need to compare how much detergent you need to use.
At Le Reve we use "Auto Dish Soap" from Trader Joe's. The benefits of this soap:
*Biodegradable
*Phosphate Free
*Chlorine Free
*Removes Dried on foods
*Removes Tough Stains
*Built-In Rinse Aid
Quick dish washing tips
By the way - when hand washing dishes, you only need enough suds to cover the top of the water with a thin layer; anything over that is just overkill and aside from environmental concerns, you're just wasting money. Also, ensure you make the most of your bottle of detergent. When it seems empty, there's probably enough for a couple of washes left if you add a bit of warm water to the bottle and then shake! Little things like this multiplied by millions doing the same does help in a small way to minimize our negative impact on the environment.
Feb 5, 2009
We Are Taking Going Green To The Next Level
Because we pride ourselves on being a Green Spa, we are always looking for ways to stay up to date on who is green what they are doing, and how we can get involved.Our latest find was brilliant so we could not help but share it with you.
Yellow Pages Goes Green!
What Does This Mean?
More paper for textbooks.
About 540 million unsolicited phonebooks arrive at American doors annually - takes a lotta trees to make those.
Majoring in waste reduction.
Phonebooks make for about 660,000 tons of trash every year.
Extra credit less annoyance.
Just lugging phonebooks into the house when you know you'll never use them is a pain.
Personally Speaking none of us have used a paper phonebook since the advent of Google SMS (send a text message to 466453 with business name and zip code, and you'll get the number and address sent to you).
Wanna Try?
YellowPagesGoesGreen.org: enter your info here to get your name off the mailing list.
Earth 911- recycle your old phonebooks (if you have curbside recycling, just toss them in there).
Yellow Pages Goes Green!
What Does This Mean?
More paper for textbooks.
About 540 million unsolicited phonebooks arrive at American doors annually - takes a lotta trees to make those.
Majoring in waste reduction.
Phonebooks make for about 660,000 tons of trash every year.
Extra credit less annoyance.
Just lugging phonebooks into the house when you know you'll never use them is a pain.
Personally Speaking none of us have used a paper phonebook since the advent of Google SMS (send a text message to 466453 with business name and zip code, and you'll get the number and address sent to you).
Wanna Try?
YellowPagesGoesGreen.org: enter your info here to get your name off the mailing list.
Earth 911- recycle your old phonebooks (if you have curbside recycling, just toss them in there).
Dec 15, 2008
DEFINING A MOVEMENT
What Is A Green Spa?
A green spa is a center for healing, aesthetics and wellness where reducing the spa's environmental footprint is a top priority.
Some characteristics of a Green Spa:
Strives to conserve energy and water resources.
Is committed to using materials that can be recycled, follows recycling practices, and is always looking for ways to minimize waste.
Utilizes natural and organic skin care products.
Believes that it has a responsibility to guests and to the planet to reduce exposure to toxic substances and to minimize hazardous waste generation.
Is open to learning and adopting new environmentally friendly strategies and techniques.
Shares its concern for the Earth's well-being with guests.
THE SUSTAINABLE CHOICE
Why Choose a Green Spa?
Green spas are naturally healthy - By limiting toxins in their skin care products and in their spa’s environment, green spas provide a healthier experience.
Green spas are more relaxing - By putting aside the stressors of modern life – including noise, pollution, toxins and waste – green spas are able to offer a more balanced and relaxing experience.
Green spa treatments are more effective - Synthetically derived skincare products may produce quick results, but they might also cause damage. Natural treatments are gentler and help ensure long-term health and beauty.
Green spas put the body in harmony with nature - Green spas are attuned to the rhythms of nature as well as the rhythms of the human body. When nature and body are in harmony humans feel healthier, stronger and more attractive.
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